Folding furniture



June 2,1959 P, MQUROT I 2,888,689

FOLDING FURNITURE 1 Filed 001:. 3, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

' ATTORNEYS June 2, 1959 I P. MOUROT 2,888,689

FOLDING FURNITURE Filed Oct. 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

ATTD RN EYS United States Patent z,sss,6s9

FOLDING FURNITURE Paul Mourot, Nancy, France, assignor of one-half to Claude Chauvigne, Port-Gentil, Gabon, French Equatorial Africa 7 Application October 3, 1956, Serial No. 613,689

1 Claim. (Cl. -114) This invention relates to tubular furniture of the folding or collapsible type and in particular a plurality of tubes pivotally mounted in a base wherein the tubes are adapted to be, selectively, extended to support a sheet of material, to form a chair or couch, or folded to parallel positions for storage, shipping, and transportation.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for mounting a plurality of tubular elements whereby the elements are adapted to be extended and set up for use, or folded to collapsed positions when not in use.

Various types of tubular furniture have been provided and in numerous instances chairs and other articles of furniture are adapted to be folded to collapsed positions, however, even in the collapsed positions the frames of conventional tubular furniture occupy considerable space and are therefore objectionable for transportation, particularly in motor vehicles. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a method of pivotally connecting tubular elements whereby the elements are adapted to be extended for use and readily folded to parallel positions when not in use.

The object of this invention, is therefore, to provide a base member for pivotally connecting tubular elements which permits elements to be folded to parallel positions for storage, shipping, and the like and which also supports the elements in extended positions for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a member for pivotally connecting tubular elements to form furniture in which the device is adapted to be provided in different designs to correspond with difierent articles of furniture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foundation element for forming folding or collapsible furniture in which tubular elements are pivotally mounted between plates of a base in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a pair of spaced parallel plates forming a base with tubular elements having upwardly extended ends pivotally mounted between the plates and positioned whereby the tubular elements are adapted to fold to parallel positions.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the folding furniture showing a comparatively simple form in which three tubes are pivotally mounted in a base and provided with upwardly extended portions for retaining a sheet of flexible material in position to form a reclining chair or couch.

Figure 2 is an exploded view illustrating parts of the piece of furniture shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan showing the elements of the furniture shown in Figures 1 and 2 folded with the tubes in parallel positions.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2 with the parts shown on an enlarged scale illustrating 2 a joint for retaining parts of the furniture in set-up or folded positions. 9 Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the folding furniture illustrating a modification wherein a plurality of tubes extend from both ends of the base member.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5 illustrating a typical connection between two of the tubes, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale. Figure 7 is a sectional plan taken on line 7--7 of Figure 5 also showing tubes of an article of furniture with the parts in extended positions.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan similar to that shown in Figures 5 and 7 with the tubes shown in folded positions.

Figure 9 is a sectional plan, somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 7, illustrating a further modification wherein a plurality of spaced members having tubes pivotally mounted therein are connected with a telescoping member.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 9 with the parts in folded position.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved folding furniture of this invention includes a base member formed with spaced plates 10 and 11, a tube 12 mounted in the small end of the base member and having an up wardly extended end 13, tubes 14 and 15 having upwardly extended ends 1 6 and 17 pivotally mounted in the opposite end of the base member, an extension or tube 18 having a cross ba'r 19 mounted'by a pin 20 in the upper end of the portion 13 of the tube 12, tubes 21 and 22 secured by pins 23 and 24 in upper ends of the sections 16 and 17 of the tubes 14 and 15, a crossbar 25 connecting the upper ends of the tubes 21 and 22 and a sheet of material 26 extended between the crossbars 19 and 25.

The base plates 10 and 11 are triangular shaped with the tube 12 extended from the vertex and with the tubes 14 and 15 pivotally mounted in ends of the base portion thereof with pins 8 and 9. With the parts formed in this manner the tubes 14 and 15 are adapted to fold to nested positions on the sides of the tube 12, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The lower end of the section 18 is provided with a pin 27' that is adapted to be inserted in the upper end of the section 13 of the tube 12 and the upper end of the section or tube 18 is open whereby the pin 20 of the crossbar 19 is readily inserted therein. The crossbar 19 is provided with collars 28 and 29 for retaining a hem 30 of the sheet of material 26 in position on the cross-bar and the ends of the bar 25 are provided with similar collars 31 and 32 which retain the hem 33 or opposite end of the sheet of material in position on the tube 25.

The ends of the tube 25 are provided with spaced depending plates 34 between which upper ends of the tubes 21 and 22, respectively, are pivotally mounted by pins 35. The tube 25 is spaced above the tubes 14 and 15 with the tubes 21 and 22 and pins 23 and 24 extended from the lower ends of the tubes 21 and 22 are positioned in upper ends of the end portions 16 and 17.

In the design illustrated in Figures 5, 7 and 8 the base member is formed with plates 41, 42 with tubular arms 43 and 44 pivotally mounted by pins 45, and 46, respectively, in one end and similar arms 47 and 48 pivotally mounted by pins 49 and 50, respectively, in the opposite end. With the tubes mounted in this manner the tubes at the ends are adapted to be extended, as illustrated in Figure 7, for use and the tubes are also adapted to be folded to the positions illustrated in Figure 8 for storage, shipping, and the like.

The tubes 43 and 44 are provided with upwardly extended ends 51 that are positioned to receive tubes 52,

similar to the tube 18 of the design shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the tubes 47 and 48 are provided with upwardly extended ends 53 in which tubes 54, also similar to the tube 18 are positioned. A cross-bar 55 is mounted on upper ends of the tubes 52 and a similar cross-bar 56 is mounted on upper ends of the sections or tubes 54, whereby a sheet of material 57 is supported on the crossbars with a hem 58 at one end extended over the rod or tube 55 and with a similar hem 59 at the opposite end extended over the rod or tube 56.

In the design illustrated in Figure 9 a device is provided with a pair of base elements, the base element at one end including plates 60 and 61, and the base element in the opposite end including plates 62 and 63 and, as illustrated in Figure 9, a tube 64 is secured between the plates 60 and 61 and a tube 65, which is slidably mounted in the tube 64, is secured between the plates 62, and 63. The tubes 64 and 65 are retained in adjusted positions with a set-screw 66, threaded in the tube 64. In this design tubular arms 67 and 68 are pivotally mounted by pins 69 and 70 between the base plates 60 and 61 and similar tubes 71 and 72 are pivotally mounted by pins 73 and 74 between the plates 62 and 63. In this design the tubular arms 67 and 68 are provided with upwardly extended ends 75 and 76, respectively, and the arms 71 and 72 are provided with similar upwardly extended ends 77 and 78. Tubular sections, similar to the section 18 may be placed in the upwardly extended ends of the arms for supporting a sheet of material or other elements. As illustrated in Figure the tubular arms are adapted to be folded to positions parallel to the telescoping tubes 64 and 65 when the device is not in use.

It will be understood, therefore, that the base element may be provided in different forms and different numbers of tubes may be pivotally mounted therein to form different articles of furniture. Sheets of material or the like may be supported by the upwardly extended tubular sections at the ends of the arms pivotally mounted in the base elements whereby different forms of furniture may be provided.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

As a new article of furniture, a pair of base elements, each of said base elements including superimposed plates, a first tube secured between one pair of said plates, a second tube slidably engaging said first tube and said second tube being secured between the other pair of'p'lates, a set screw for retaining the tubes immobile in their adjusted position, tubular arms pivotally mounted by pins between the base plates, said tubular arms being provided with upwardly extended ends, and tubular sections arranged in engagement with the upwardly extended ends of the arms for supporting a sheet of material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,727 Keegan Jan. 1, 1895 826,590 Miller July 24, 1906 1,096,185 Nelson May 12, 1914 1,305,671 Schaub June 3, 1919 1,618,493 Thiele Feb. 22, 1927 2,209,145 Weber July 23, 1940 2,503,508 Parks Apr. 11, 1950 2,622,878 Mooney Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,400 Great Britain of 1899 164,595 Austria Apr. 15, 1949 441,287 Germany Feb. 26, 1927 472,239 Canada Mar. 20, 1951 755,349 France Sept. 4, 1933 

